Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original magazine edition for enjoyable reading. (Worth every penny spent!)
***
S. Baring-Gould has given a very interesting account of some of the features of this mountainous region of "la belle France" which seems to have been somewhat neglected by tourists. In his preface, the author asserts that "A Book of the Cevennes is in no sense meant to be a guide, but rather "an introduction to the country, to be supplemented by guidebooks." He sketches the rough and silent Cevenol peasant and his native land with a master hand and relates thrilling narratives of terrible crimes which took place in bygone times when traveling in those parts could have been anything but safe and pleasurable. The story of "L'Auberge de Peyrabeille," for instance, is full of ghastliness. We are told how travelers who put up at this lonely wayside hostelry were robbed and murdered wholesale by the innkeeper and his family for a number of years without being discovered. Several other thrilling incidents are described, which indicate the desperate brutality of the people in earlier days. The towns in the Cevennes are small and sleepy, but each has a peculiar charm of its own. The position of the ancient and fantastically situated town of Le Puy is worth sketching in the author's words: "Out of the very midst of a basin up start two rocks ; the largest is Mont Anis, and about this, up its steep sides, the town scrambles. On a ledge above all the houses is a cathedral, and soaring above that again is the rock of Corneille, crowned by a colossal statue of the Virgin" (the largest in existence, we are told, being fifty-two feet high), which dwarfs the venerable cathedral and disfigures the town. For many centuries Le Puy was the chief seat of the worship of the Virgin, and pilgrimages were made to the church of St. John, where the "Black Virgin," represented by a hideous black doll—more like an "Aunt Sally," as Baring-Gould says was kept! The staple food of the Cevenol is the chestnut, and in bad seasons, when disease strikes the trees, the people are reduced to a condition of famine. Beating the trees and collecting the fallen chestnuts is quite a festival in the Cevennes, just as is the vintage in the plains. On these occasions there is much rejoicing, with singing of songs. The following is taken from one of the chestnut-gatherer's favorite ballads:—
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Belle, belle, belle!
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Le pays prend son odeur.
Cevennes pleines de rochers,
Hautes, hautes, hautes!
CeVennes pleines de rochers,
Faites nous forts et religieux.
Baring-Gould's accounts of the curious formation of the rocks, as well as of the visible traces of volcanic upheavals which greet the traveler in many districts of the Cevennes, should be specially fascinating to all who are interested in geology; while bis descriptions of the ancient towns and rugged mountain scenery, with its glorious gorges and ravines "of surpassing savage beauty," are enough to allure the wanderer in search of old-world "novelties," combined with the picturesque, to those parts. The book is enhanced by charming illustrations, eight of which are in color.
1103291926
***
S. Baring-Gould has given a very interesting account of some of the features of this mountainous region of "la belle France" which seems to have been somewhat neglected by tourists. In his preface, the author asserts that "A Book of the Cevennes is in no sense meant to be a guide, but rather "an introduction to the country, to be supplemented by guidebooks." He sketches the rough and silent Cevenol peasant and his native land with a master hand and relates thrilling narratives of terrible crimes which took place in bygone times when traveling in those parts could have been anything but safe and pleasurable. The story of "L'Auberge de Peyrabeille," for instance, is full of ghastliness. We are told how travelers who put up at this lonely wayside hostelry were robbed and murdered wholesale by the innkeeper and his family for a number of years without being discovered. Several other thrilling incidents are described, which indicate the desperate brutality of the people in earlier days. The towns in the Cevennes are small and sleepy, but each has a peculiar charm of its own. The position of the ancient and fantastically situated town of Le Puy is worth sketching in the author's words: "Out of the very midst of a basin up start two rocks ; the largest is Mont Anis, and about this, up its steep sides, the town scrambles. On a ledge above all the houses is a cathedral, and soaring above that again is the rock of Corneille, crowned by a colossal statue of the Virgin" (the largest in existence, we are told, being fifty-two feet high), which dwarfs the venerable cathedral and disfigures the town. For many centuries Le Puy was the chief seat of the worship of the Virgin, and pilgrimages were made to the church of St. John, where the "Black Virgin," represented by a hideous black doll—more like an "Aunt Sally," as Baring-Gould says was kept! The staple food of the Cevenol is the chestnut, and in bad seasons, when disease strikes the trees, the people are reduced to a condition of famine. Beating the trees and collecting the fallen chestnuts is quite a festival in the Cevennes, just as is the vintage in the plains. On these occasions there is much rejoicing, with singing of songs. The following is taken from one of the chestnut-gatherer's favorite ballads:—
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Belle, belle, belle!
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Le pays prend son odeur.
Cevennes pleines de rochers,
Hautes, hautes, hautes!
CeVennes pleines de rochers,
Faites nous forts et religieux.
Baring-Gould's accounts of the curious formation of the rocks, as well as of the visible traces of volcanic upheavals which greet the traveler in many districts of the Cevennes, should be specially fascinating to all who are interested in geology; while bis descriptions of the ancient towns and rugged mountain scenery, with its glorious gorges and ravines "of surpassing savage beauty," are enough to allure the wanderer in search of old-world "novelties," combined with the picturesque, to those parts. The book is enhanced by charming illustrations, eight of which are in color.
A BOOK OF THE CEVENNES
Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original magazine edition for enjoyable reading. (Worth every penny spent!)
***
S. Baring-Gould has given a very interesting account of some of the features of this mountainous region of "la belle France" which seems to have been somewhat neglected by tourists. In his preface, the author asserts that "A Book of the Cevennes is in no sense meant to be a guide, but rather "an introduction to the country, to be supplemented by guidebooks." He sketches the rough and silent Cevenol peasant and his native land with a master hand and relates thrilling narratives of terrible crimes which took place in bygone times when traveling in those parts could have been anything but safe and pleasurable. The story of "L'Auberge de Peyrabeille," for instance, is full of ghastliness. We are told how travelers who put up at this lonely wayside hostelry were robbed and murdered wholesale by the innkeeper and his family for a number of years without being discovered. Several other thrilling incidents are described, which indicate the desperate brutality of the people in earlier days. The towns in the Cevennes are small and sleepy, but each has a peculiar charm of its own. The position of the ancient and fantastically situated town of Le Puy is worth sketching in the author's words: "Out of the very midst of a basin up start two rocks ; the largest is Mont Anis, and about this, up its steep sides, the town scrambles. On a ledge above all the houses is a cathedral, and soaring above that again is the rock of Corneille, crowned by a colossal statue of the Virgin" (the largest in existence, we are told, being fifty-two feet high), which dwarfs the venerable cathedral and disfigures the town. For many centuries Le Puy was the chief seat of the worship of the Virgin, and pilgrimages were made to the church of St. John, where the "Black Virgin," represented by a hideous black doll—more like an "Aunt Sally," as Baring-Gould says was kept! The staple food of the Cevenol is the chestnut, and in bad seasons, when disease strikes the trees, the people are reduced to a condition of famine. Beating the trees and collecting the fallen chestnuts is quite a festival in the Cevennes, just as is the vintage in the plains. On these occasions there is much rejoicing, with singing of songs. The following is taken from one of the chestnut-gatherer's favorite ballads:—
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Belle, belle, belle!
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Le pays prend son odeur.
Cevennes pleines de rochers,
Hautes, hautes, hautes!
CeVennes pleines de rochers,
Faites nous forts et religieux.
Baring-Gould's accounts of the curious formation of the rocks, as well as of the visible traces of volcanic upheavals which greet the traveler in many districts of the Cevennes, should be specially fascinating to all who are interested in geology; while bis descriptions of the ancient towns and rugged mountain scenery, with its glorious gorges and ravines "of surpassing savage beauty," are enough to allure the wanderer in search of old-world "novelties," combined with the picturesque, to those parts. The book is enhanced by charming illustrations, eight of which are in color.
***
S. Baring-Gould has given a very interesting account of some of the features of this mountainous region of "la belle France" which seems to have been somewhat neglected by tourists. In his preface, the author asserts that "A Book of the Cevennes is in no sense meant to be a guide, but rather "an introduction to the country, to be supplemented by guidebooks." He sketches the rough and silent Cevenol peasant and his native land with a master hand and relates thrilling narratives of terrible crimes which took place in bygone times when traveling in those parts could have been anything but safe and pleasurable. The story of "L'Auberge de Peyrabeille," for instance, is full of ghastliness. We are told how travelers who put up at this lonely wayside hostelry were robbed and murdered wholesale by the innkeeper and his family for a number of years without being discovered. Several other thrilling incidents are described, which indicate the desperate brutality of the people in earlier days. The towns in the Cevennes are small and sleepy, but each has a peculiar charm of its own. The position of the ancient and fantastically situated town of Le Puy is worth sketching in the author's words: "Out of the very midst of a basin up start two rocks ; the largest is Mont Anis, and about this, up its steep sides, the town scrambles. On a ledge above all the houses is a cathedral, and soaring above that again is the rock of Corneille, crowned by a colossal statue of the Virgin" (the largest in existence, we are told, being fifty-two feet high), which dwarfs the venerable cathedral and disfigures the town. For many centuries Le Puy was the chief seat of the worship of the Virgin, and pilgrimages were made to the church of St. John, where the "Black Virgin," represented by a hideous black doll—more like an "Aunt Sally," as Baring-Gould says was kept! The staple food of the Cevenol is the chestnut, and in bad seasons, when disease strikes the trees, the people are reduced to a condition of famine. Beating the trees and collecting the fallen chestnuts is quite a festival in the Cevennes, just as is the vintage in the plains. On these occasions there is much rejoicing, with singing of songs. The following is taken from one of the chestnut-gatherer's favorite ballads:—
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Belle, belle, belle!
Quand le chitaignier est en fleur,
Le pays prend son odeur.
Cevennes pleines de rochers,
Hautes, hautes, hautes!
CeVennes pleines de rochers,
Faites nous forts et religieux.
Baring-Gould's accounts of the curious formation of the rocks, as well as of the visible traces of volcanic upheavals which greet the traveler in many districts of the Cevennes, should be specially fascinating to all who are interested in geology; while bis descriptions of the ancient towns and rugged mountain scenery, with its glorious gorges and ravines "of surpassing savage beauty," are enough to allure the wanderer in search of old-world "novelties," combined with the picturesque, to those parts. The book is enhanced by charming illustrations, eight of which are in color.
0.99
In Stock
5
1
A BOOK OF THE CEVENNES
A BOOK OF THE CEVENNES
Related collections and offers
0.99
In Stock
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940013369689 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | OGB |
| Publication date: | 09/13/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 3 MB |
From the B&N Reads Blog